Does the Emirates Skywards Premium World Elite Mastercard have an annual fee?

Yes — $499 a year, according to the issuer information in our record.

Is the Emirates Skywards Premium World Elite Mastercard worth it in the first year?

Using our illustration ($12,000 of yearly spending, $3,000 of it in emirates purchases), the first year comes out around $453 before credits, including a welcome bonus valued at $700. In year two, rewards alone fall about $247 short of the fee, so credits and benefits have to close the gap.

Do the Emirates Skywards Premium World Elite Mastercard's credits cover the annual fee?

The listed credits add up to $70 a year at face value against a $499 fee. Count only the credits you'd use without changing your spending, and remember one needs enrollment.

Emirates Skywards Premium World Elite Mastercard®

Barclays

$499

Annual Fee

mastercardExcellentairlinepremium16 days ago

Welcome Offer

50,000 pts(≈ $700)Spend $3,000 within 3 months

OpenCard analysis

Is the Emirates Skywards Premium World Elite Mastercard right for you?

The Emirates Skywards Premium World Elite Mastercard is a premium $499-a-year Skywards Miles card from Barclays. Its strongest everyday earning is 3x on emirates purchases, with 1x on most other purchases. Whether it pays off depends on how often you'd use its travel benefits, not on the headline earning rates.

Who it's for

✓ People who spend steadily on emirates purchases, where it earns 3x
✓ Regular Skywards customers who will redeem with that program
✓ Frequent flyers who will actually use Emirates lounge access

Who should skip it

— People who won't use enough benefits to cover the $499 annual fee
— People with no loyalty to Skywards
— Applicants with fair or limited credit — the issuer targets excellent credit

First-year value estimate

Welcome bonus

$700

Rewards on spending

$252

Annual fee (year 1)

−$499

Year 1, before credits

$453

Year two, without the welcome bonus: about -$247 before credits ($252 in rewards minus the $499 fee).

Assumptions

$3,000 a year in emirates purchases (3x) and $9,000 on everything else (1x) — $12,000 total, about $1,000 a month.
Rewards valued at 1.4¢ per Skywards Miles (OpenCard valuation; cash-out value can be lower).
Welcome bonus: 50,000 Skywards Miles at 1.4¢ each (OpenCard valuation) ≈ $700.
Annual fee of $499 in year one and every year after.
Recurring credits are listed separately below and are not counted here.

An illustration, not a promise of value. Change the spending to match yours; rewards are not cash until redeemed. Card data reviewed 2026-10-03.

How the fee is offset by credits

Even at face value the listed credits ($70 a year) cover 14% of the $499 fee, so rewards and benefits have to make up the rest.

Credit	Terms	Per year (face value)
DoorDash Non-Restaurant Credit	$10 per quarter, enrollment required	$40
Global Entry / TSA PreCheck Application Credit	$120 once every four years	$30
Total face value		$70

How it compares

Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express →

American Express, higher fee ($650 vs $499); earns 3x on delta purchases.

United Club Visa Infinite →

Chase, higher fee ($695 vs $499); earns 11x on United Flights.

Citi / AAdvantage Executive World Legend Mastercard →

Citi, higher fee ($695 vs $499); earns 12x on AAdvantage Hotels and AAdvantage Cars.

Compare side by side →

Rules and gotchas

The welcome bonus requires $3,000 in 3 months — roughly $1,000 a month. That fits inside the $1,000 a month in our illustration.
One of the listed credits requires enrollment before it works.
The Global Entry / TSA PreCheck-style credit renews only once every four years, so it adds little to the yearly math.

Frequently asked questions

Does the Emirates Skywards Premium World Elite Mastercard have an annual fee?: Yes — $499 a year, according to the issuer information in our record.
What does the Emirates Skywards Premium World Elite Mastercard earn?: 3x on emirates purchases, and 1x on other purchases.
Is the Emirates Skywards Premium World Elite Mastercard worth it in the first year?: Using our illustration ($12,000 of yearly spending, $3,000 of it in emirates purchases), the first year comes out around $453 before credits, including a welcome bonus valued at $700. In year two, rewards alone fall about $247 short of the fee, so credits and benefits have to close the gap.
Do the Emirates Skywards Premium World Elite Mastercard's credits cover the annual fee?: The listed credits add up to $70 a year at face value against a $499 fee. Count only the credits you'd use without changing your spending, and remember one needs enrollment.
What credit do I need for the Emirates Skywards Premium World Elite Mastercard?: Our record lists "Excellent" credit as the typical target for the Emirates Skywards Premium World Elite Mastercard. Barclays makes the final decision based on its own criteria.

Earning Rates

3×Emirates purchases3x Skywards Miles per $1 on eligible Emirates purchases

1×All other purchases1x Skywards Mile per $1 on all other purchases

Benefits & Credits

$120

Global Entry / TSA PreCheck Application Credit

Reimbursement for Global Entry ($120) or TSA PreCheck ($85) application fee. Renews every 4 years aligned with credential validity.

$10

DoorDash Non-Restaurant Credit

Up to $10 off one qualifying non-restaurant DoorDash order each calendar quarter (DashMart, 7-Eleven, CVS, Safeway, etc.). Requires active DashPass enrollment. Per Chase cobrand-doordash terms.

/quarter

Lounges

Emirates lounge accessEmirates lounge access (Emirates Business Class lounge access with qualifying spend)

Other Benefits

Insurance

Sources

Last Updated: Oct 3, 2026